mountain moving faith...
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Charter Mountain - Garden Valley, Idaho |
My name is Thomas, so as a child I was wide eyed and all ears the first time I heard the
New Testament story about the Apostle Thomas who doubted the resurrection
and demanded to feel the wounds of Jesus before he would be convinced.
Eight days later, Jesus appeared before the disciples, said, "Peace be unto
you," and Thomas got his proof. Jesus, without harshness, then said to
him, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
(John 20: 24-29)
That's the kind of story that sticks with you.
It sticks with you because we've all been there. We recognize good old
Thomas the Doubter.
Give me the proof. Let me see with my own eyes. Show me the
money. Sign the contract first and I'll trust you second. The worldly life
fosters such demands, and I suppose there is a place for them. I imagine
Apostle Thomas on one or more occasions had placed great faith in someone or
something and later, when it didn't work out as he expected, he felt naive or
burned or foolish in his faith. He might've even said, "Never again."
Does that sound familiar? Likely. In life, believing without
seeing can ask a lot of us, yet there are times when that is exactly what we are
called to do. Inherent to the spiritually centered life is an ongoing call
to the realm of faith. In this manner, our faith develops and expands to
greater, more masterful levels. This is what Jesus taught Thomas. If
you can believe without seeing, you are (will be) blessed.
Is there a current circumstance in your life asking you to believe without
seeing? If so, are you approaching that circumstance in the spirit of
faith or of doubt?
Many years ago during a weekend spiritual retreat I led an outdoor exercise
where people were randomly partnered up; one person was blindfolded and the
other led them on a walk through a wooded area, first by the hand, and then by
voice directions only. It was a three-pronged exercise in faith; faith in
your partner's guidance, faith in your innate ability to listen carefully and
follow that guidance, and ultimately, faith in God that you were absolutely safe
and secure in the process. I remember pushing the edges of my comfort
zone. That's the work of a leader. I started out at a walk and when
coming to an open area, trusted my partner's guidance and encouragement enough
to actually work up to a run. Running while blindfolded. That
was a new experience for me. It wasn't easy to trust that much but when I
did, it was exhilarating. I'll always remember the freedom I felt in that
physical/spiritual exercise of pure faith. I did not see, yet I believed.
I believed in the person who guided me, I believed in myself, I believed in the
absolute safety and protection of the Universe. When I stopped running and
removed the blindfold, I was astounded at how far I had traveled, sightless, in
a small amount of time. Such is the power of faith.
"...for we walk by faith, not sight." (II Corinthians 5:7)
Or run, even.
So where are you with your faith these days? Is Thomas the Doubter
or Thomas the Believer the predominant energy and expression of your
being? There is a place for both. As I see it, the complexities and
challenges of our times call for a delicate balance of caution and courage.
We live in a physical and spiritual world simultaneously. So use your
mind, think things through, don't blindly believe everything you hear, ask the
hard questions, analyze, and even seek proof. Over time I've grown to more
fully understand and even respect the doubting aspect of Thomas. There's a
real world place for that. While healthy doubt can serve a worldly
purpose, ultimately it can only take us so far and so deep in our spiritual
growth and in our ability to face and transcend difficulties. Do you want
or need to move mountains? That calls for faith. Faith in others,
faith in yourself, faith in God. Sometimes, that means believing
without seeing. Not tentatively. I mean with your whole heart,
mind, and soul.
In my previous Sunday message I invited you to start the new year with a
commitment to exercise your imagination. Hand in hand with that is an
invitation to exercise your faith. Imagination coupled with faith is a
powerful combination. Faith can be exercised regularly in every area of
your life. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., faith can "carve a
tunnel of hope through the mountain of despair" and "transform dark yesterdays
into bright tomorrows."
When called to do so, practice believing without seeing. As Jesus
promised, such an exercise in faith is blessed.
-Rev. Tom
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